Motor-heating apparatus



Jan. 21, 1930. J, 'v ET AL 1,744,470

MOTOR HEATING APPARATUS Filed 00in 8, 1928 Patented Jan. 21, 1930 nnire Presto MOTOR-HEATING- APPARATUS Application filed October 8, 1928. Serial no. 311,135.

This invention relates to a motor heating apparatus.

In starting motors in cold garages, for instance after theyhave stored over night, it has been found that the oil is congealed and causes the parts to stick firmly together and produces an unreasonably high load upon the starting motor and upon various parts of the mechanism. In addition to this, the vaporization of the gasoline in the carburetor is very poor.

This invention is designed to overcome the defects noted above, and objects of the invention are to provide a novel means for heating the motor and for heating the carburetor, such heat being supplied by an electric heater preferably energized from the city mains, so that attach it to a lamp socket or outletpluga nd draw the energy from the city mains, while the car is still in the garage and may, thereby, heat air and pass this heated air into the motor housing and into the intake of the carburetor and around the carburetor as well as around the oil pump. This heated air very quickly frees the parts and makes the lubricating oil more fluid, thereby permitting easy starting.

Further objects are to provide a novel construction in which an electric fan and electric heater are provided for forcing hot air to parts of motor and carburetor, and in which means are provided to prevent damage by explosion, in case of back flow of gas from engine housing. Should this occur no dam age can be done as the floating valve prevents gas from coming in contact with the heating element.

Further objects are to provide a construc tion in which the heated air will normally force the valve free, but in the event the valve becomes stuck, due to congealing of oil or other causes, the heated air will soon free the valve and cause it to function in its normal capacity.

An embodiment of the invention is shown the accompanying drawings in which:

The single figure is a diagrammatic View showing the device partly in section and showing its attachment to the motor housing,

the operator can merely the motor housing and associated parts being drawn to a reduced scale.

turned curved )ine 2. its outlet 3 extends outwardly from the casing 1 and is provided with an electric suspended within the outlet pipe 3. heater is adapted nected to the city able manner.

The electric motor 6 any suitable source of power, from the city mains or the car, as desire heater 4: preferably freely This to be temporarily consupply mains 5 in any suitmay be driven from for instance, from the battery of d. Preferably, it is driven from the city mains.

A fitting 7 is bolted between the upper end of a vertical pipe 8 and the downturned end or the discharge or outlet pipe of the fan.

This fitting is provided with a downwardly converging portion 10 forms the valve 11 normally presses.

is provided wi h a float l3.

aperture 9 whose lower edge or which The valve extends to a valve seatagainst a stem 12 which This iioatis preferably aluminum and is carried within bath of mercury which with the exception of expansion and contraction is impervious to heat or cold. The bath of mercury 14- is held in a cup-like member 15.

This cup-like member has a closed top through which a passes. by means of a form a cage. Ab l'T-is preferably The fitting 7 it is supported from the stem 12 of the valve freely fitting 7 plurality of arms 16 which ove the fitting, a wire screen positioned.

also has an opening into which an auxiliary pipe 18 projects. This pipe 18 is relatively small and is positioned adjacent the valve and the mercury chamber and is located within trio pipe 8. The pipe 8 opens into the crank case or motor housing 19, as shown. It to the Oll filling casing, or it may thereof, as shown desired, it may be connected cap or pipe leading to this be connected independently in the drawing. The pipe 8 opens directly into the motor housing. The

hotair supplied into the motor ho by this pipe passes freely using and very quickly trees EGG fluid when the engine is started.

the parts of the motor from their relatively tightly held condition, due to the congealing of the oil.

T he breather pipe from the motor housing may be connected by means of a pipe 21 with a shell 22 surrounding the carburetor 23,530 that some of the discharged hot air passes around the carburetor and thus aids in vaporization of the fuel.

The pipe 18 extends downwardly into the crank case and is preferably looped around the oil pump 24. From this point, the pipe 18 extends upwardly and opens into the intake of the carburetor. If desired, the pipe 18 may also open into the casing 22' and the pipe 21 may be dispensed with.

In operation, it will be seen that the valve 11 is ordinarily immediately depressed by the air forced into the pipe 3 by the fan. The air is heated as it passes the electric heater 4 and this hot air rapidly flows past the valve and enters the crank case or engine housing, thus quickly warming the parts. the hot air through the pipe 18 passes around the oil pump 24 and is discharged into the intake 25 of the carburetor. A part of the escaping hot air from the engine housing is led back and is passed around the carburetor between the carburetor and the surrounding jacket.

It has been found that the device is very effective in quickly warming a cold motor and a cold carburetor and that it relieves the starting motor of a very large strain in the starting of the car as compared with the usual practice.

Further, the actual mechanism of the engine itself is not strained as the oil is freely The vaporization of the fuel is also augmented so that easy starting is assured.

above, it is to be noted that no drain is placed upon the battery of the car for this heat, but that the energy is drawn from the city mains as described.

Further, it will be noted that the valve 11 is veryeasily operated. It is preferably formed of aluminum and the float carried within the mercury bath overbalances the weight of the valve so that the valve will close when the fan is stopped and will immediately open even from a slight. difference of air pressure produced by the fan.

Further, if for any reason, the valve should stick during cold weather, due to any accumulation of oil upon the valve,'it is readily freed by the hot air which contacts with the valve and which also is carried adjacentthe valve by the auxiliary pipe 18.

It is noted further that the device is relatively simple. It is safeguarded against explosion by preventing back-flow of gas, and may be easily installed.

Although the invention has been described Further,

in addition to the advantages enumerated in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting as the invention may be variously embodied and as the scope of such invention is to be determined as claimed.

WV e claim:

1. The combination of an internal combustion engine having a housing, a pipe connected to said housing, an electric heater positioned within said pipe, a normally closed valve interposed between the housing and the electric heater and preventing reverse flow of gas through said pipe, and a fan for forcing air pas-t said heater and through said valve and into said engine housing.

2. The combination of an internal combustion engine having a carburetor and a housing, a pipe communicating with said housing, an electric heater mounted within said pipe, means for forcing air past said electric heater through said pipe and into said housing, an auxiliary pipe supplied with hot air and associated with said first mentioned pipe and openings into the intake of the carburetor.

3. An internal combustion engine having a housing, an oil pump mounted'within said housing, a pipe opening into said housing, an electric heater mounted within the pipe, a fan for forcing air past said electric heater through said pipe and into said housing, a valve mounted within said pipe and preventing reverse flow of gas, an auxiliary pipe communicating with said main pipe and surrounding said oil pump, and means normally holding said valve closed.

4. The combination of an internal combustion engine having a housing, an oil pump mounted therein, a carburetor, a jacket surrounding said carburetor, a main pipe opening into said housing, an electric heater mounted within said main pipe, a fan connected to said main pipe, a valve carried within said main pipe and preventing reverse flow of gas from said housing through said pipe, an auxiliary pipe mounted within said main pipe and opening at a point past said valve, said auxiliary pipe being looped around said oil pump and opening into the intake of the carburetor, and means for com ducting hot air into said jacket surrounding said carburetor.

5. The combination of an internal combustion engine having a housing, an oil pump mounted therein, a carburetor, a jacket surrounding said carburetor, a main pipe opening into said housing, an electric heater mounted within said main pipe, a fan connected to said main pipe, in said main pipe and preventing reverse flow of gas from said housing through said pipe, an auxiliary pipe mounted within said main pipe and opening at a point past said valve, said auxiliary pipe being looped around said oil pump and opening into the intake of the a valve carried with-.

carburetor, and a pipe opening into the interior of said housing and communicating with the jacket surrounding said carburetor.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing We have hereunto set our hands at Hartford, in the county of Washington and State of \Viseonsin.

JACOB HILT. THOMAS F. LAUGHLIN, M. D. 

